Parvathy Nair

Marketing professional, reader, occasional writer

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Wow

[Shashi Tharoor @ShashiTharoor]

From Zero to 94: The Indian Chess Revolution Continues! Stunning to see this news in the paper this morning. Congratulations to Mayank Chakraborty from Assam for becoming India’s 94th (yes, 94th!) Grandmaster at just 16. I can’t help but muse aloud on how far we have come. I remember my student days, when the tally of Indian Grandmasters was zero. Back then, we celebrated the few “International Masters” (IMs) we had as the ultimate pioneers. We looked at the Chess Giants, Russia and the US, as if they were on another planet.

The breakthrough, which felt unbelievable then, came in 1988 when Vishy Anand became India’s first GM at the age of 18. Fast forward to today, and India is now the fastest-growing stable for elite talent, accounting for nearly 5% of the world’s total GM population. When you consider that we have the reigning World Champion (@DGukesh) and three players regularly in the world's top 10, it’s not exaggerated to speak of India as a chess superpower.

From a time when we had none to a time when we have 94 and are "the" force to be reckoned with, the journey has been nothing short of a Grandmasterclass. The 100th GM is now just a few moves away! 🇮🇳 ♟️
#Chess #India #MayankChakraborty #Grandmaster

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

How lovely is this

[Architecture Hub @archpng]

Singapore Botanic Gardens, but the “botany” is under your feet.

This leaf-pattern walkway is made by pressing real leaves into wet concrete to capture their veins and silhouettes—an intentionally “nature-printed” path detail seen in the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

[Kerala Tourism @KeralaTourism]

Love, harmony and hearts big enough for everyone. Welcome to God’s Own Country.

#LandOfHarmony #KeralaTourism

[Historic Vids @historyinmemes]

The torch lighting at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics stands as one of the most unforgettable moments in Olympic history.

[Economic Times @EconomicTimes]

14 Former International Cricket Captains, including Padma Bhushan Sunil Gavaskar, Padma Bhushan Kapil Dev, Greg Chappell, Stephen Waugh, write to the Government of Pakistan regarding the reported condition of Imran Khan, former Prime Minister and former Captain of the Pakistan cricket team. "As fellow cricketers who understand the values of fair play, honour, and respect that transcend the boundary rope, we believe that a person of Imran Khan's stature deserves to be treated with the dignity and basic human consideration befitting a former national leader and a global sporting icon. We respectfully urge the Government of Pakistan to ensure that Imran Khan receives immediate, adequate and ongoing medical attention from qualified specialists of his choosing to address his reported health issues..." reads the letter
🔴 Catch the day's latest news here ➠ https://t.co/Amz8QIDkBf 🗞️

[Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep]

Harvard musing: He is going to be 92, still teaches a philosophy class once a week at Harvard, is completing a new book and has plans for another, travels to India to spend time at his beloved Santiniketan , has retained his Indian citizenship, reminds me that Sanskrit was his second language in school, has a foundation that supports girls education. Nobel laureate and Bharat Ratna Dr Amartya Sen remains a true exemplar of the intellectual, argumentative fiercely patriotic, globalised and yet firmly rooted Indian. Much to admire. 👍 (that someone of his stature has been vilified in the last decade for his ideological stances by those who have probably never read his books is a sign of the coarseness of our times)

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

How utterly lovely!

[Art Historian Gaurav Kumar 🇮🇳 @Arthistorian18]

The Didarganj Yakshi: From Worship to Museum
-Around 108 years ago on October 18, 1917, Maulavi Qazi Sayyid Muhammad Azimul, a Muslim scholar and religious teacher discovered this Yakshi on the banks of the Ganges in Patna. Qazi was searching for sandstone when he noticed

1/15

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

My review of the Bakewell book on the existentialists. For anyone interested in philosophy or ideas that changed the world, this is a good one. #bookreview #BookRecommendation

https://t.co/EHyg3HtqEZ

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

My morning fix. #napiermuseum

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Worth a read. https://t.co/FuqC9Ht4sg

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

@ShivamVahia Are you old enough to remember Parliament in 2013?

[Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep]

The Delhi airport roof which collapsed in heavy rain killing one person injuring at least 8 was built in 2008-09. UPA was then in power so NDA blames UPA (civil aviation minister then was Praful Patel now in NDA😊) . But the entire blame game argument by rewinding the clock is bizarre. That’s like saying if there is a wall collapse in Mumbai’s Rajabai tower, let’s blame the British! Maintenance is an ongoing project and passing the buck just won’t work. By the way every time a passenger goes through an airport, we pay an airport fee. In 2023-24, Delhi airport handled about 7.36 crore passengers so earned over Rs 1000 crores in user fee. This money must go into safety above all else surely. Fix accountability, ensure safety comes first! 🙏

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

A treasure.

[Granta @GrantaMag]

We are saddened to hear of Alice Munro’s death. In memory of her life and work, four of her stories have been unlocked from behind the paywall and are free for all to read.

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Reminder to self: be more kind.

[The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings) @brainpickings]

"Nothing can make our life, or the lives of other people, more beautiful than perpetual kindness."

From Marcus Aurelius to Tolstoy to Einstein, two millennia of wisdom on the nuances, challenges, and rippling rewards of kindness https://t.co/xasF6IbzFc

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

A good man, fighting the good fight.

[Sonam Wangchuk @Wangchuk66]

END OF DAY 15 OF #CLIMATEFAST
Today I'll introduce you to another brave heart who also completes 15 days of total fast today. Retired Subedaar Stanba served Indian Army for 30 years, including in Kargil war. He was in the elite & dreaded Ladakh Scouts regiment.
But today thousands of such former soldiers are heart broken at the treatment meted out to Ladakh by the current government...
Let's still hope there's light at the end of the tunnel.
#SaveLadakh #SaveHimalayas #SaveGlaciers #6thSchedule

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Indeed! https://t.co/fIXDcbtDJz

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Awesome!

[Indira Jaising @IJaising]

Much appreciation to @mahuamoitra for giving me this opportunity to argue the #BilkisCase which has made history for all right minded Indians. The judges have said the Gujarat Government usurped the power, and that the rule of law has been violated. All convicts are directed to return back to prison.

[Parvathy Nair @paronair]

Makes sense.

[Sahil Bloom @SahilBloom]

I recently read a short story that I love: The Farmer and the Horse.

It has two deep lessons everyone needs to hear...

There was a farmer in a small village with a single horse who helped him earn a living for his family.

The other villagers constantly told the farmer how lucky he was to have such a great horse.

"Maybe," he would reply.

One day, the horse ran away. The villagers came to the farmer to express their sympathies.

"Your horse ran away. How unfortunate!" the villagers exclaimed.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

A few days later, the horse returned home, with ten strong wild horses in tow.

"What good fortune. What incredible luck," the villagers crowed.

"Maybe," the farmer again replied.

The following week, the farmer’s son was riding one of the wild horses in the fields, when it kicked him off and broke his leg.

The villagers arrived to express their dismay. "What dismal luck," they said.

"Maybe," the farmer replied.

The next month, a military officer marched into the village, recruiting able-bodied young men for the war. The farmer’s son, with his broken leg, was left behind.

The villagers were joyful, "Your son has been spared. What beautiful luck!"

The farmer simply smiled.

"Maybe."

Two Lessons from the Short Story

1. Everything is Cyclical

Seeds of destruction are sown during creation. Seeds of creation are sown during destruction.

When times are bright, enjoy, but know the dark will come.

When times are dark, adjust your eyes, and remember the seeds of light are being sown.

2. Dispel the Narratives

The farmer separates story from reality. He allows space for the events to just exist, to be neither good nor bad—to just be.

Events of your life needn't be judged.

The wisest among us allow events to exist without applying a narrative layer.

Remember these two lessons as you navigate uncharted waters in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Enjoy this? Share it with your network and follow me @SahilBloom for more in future.

[Navalism @NavalismHQ]

"Reading a book isn’t a race - the better the book, the slower it should be absorbed."

@naval

[Rajdeep Sardesai @sardesairajdeep]

Sometimes a Christmas message leaves you teary eyed. This one sure did. Pray for peace for ALL. 🙏